An Old Shoebox Is The Secret To Ridding Your Home Of Pesky Mice

There is nothing worse than discovering you have mice in the house. It can be a headache to remove them, especially if you want to do so humanely. They're relatively smart creatures and can evade traps and ignore repellants. But if you're going down the list of all-natural mice-catching hacks, then you should try using an old shoebox to capture your unwelcome visitor. It might just do the trick of catching it. 

Almost everyone has an old shoebox at home, whether discarded into the back of the closet or left empty in the basement. It's a great way to repurpose something that will just end up in the recycling bin, and lets you use something you already own rather than forcing you to buy a new product. Those two points alone make it worth a try. So if you have an old Nike or Target shoebox, grab it and try this mouse trap hack.

To pull off this hack, all you will need is a shoebox, box cutter, and food for bait. Remove the lid and cut two flaps into the center. You can do so by cutting lines horizontally across the long side of the lid, and then cutting a slit down the middle. This creates a type of trap door. Since the cardboard pieces will likely be stiff, slightly bend them inward toward the box so the mouse can easily fall in when it steps onto the flaps.

Put the lid onto the box, and then set your bait. They love eating seeds and nuts, so sprinkle some across the top. When the mouse steps onto the lid to eat its snack, it will fall through the trap door inside. Since the flaps are facing inward, it won't have an easy way out. While this is a great cruelty-free trap, if you're dealing with persistent mice, you might need to take this hack up a notch and add a snap trap inside. Also, keep in mind this hack is best if you have a few rogue mice in your house. If you have an infestation, it's best to call a professional exterminator to eliminate your rodent problem.